On March 17th seven teams of high school students throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois had the chance to pitch their entrepreneurial ventures to a panel of professionals from across the state of Wisconsin.
The teams represented the round of finalists chosen from nearly one hundred applicants. These hopeful young entrepreneurs vied for thousands of dollars in an exciting, fast-paced Shark Tank-style event. The students had developed unique business ideas and pitched their startups to the judges — including angel investors and other successful entrepreneurs — who dissected their business models with rapid-fire questions.
Fort Atkinson High School freshmen Maren Selle was among the student finalists who pitched their entrepreneurial models. Her pitch earned her second place in the regional contest among teams that included multiple students, often juniors and seniors. Selle worked tirelessly with her peers, guardians, and business and marketing educators at the high school to craft her pitch and fine-tune her business plan details.
“We’re extremely proud of Maren’s hard work, entrepreneurial drive, and the manner in which she represented Fort Atkinson High School,” her business and market teacher Michael Quesnell, said.
Selle’s proposition was centered around her product, the Heated Hoodie, a line of trendy sweatshirts and textiles that include a 360-degree heating element, similar to that of a heated blanket. Her inspiration stemmed from students’ inability to work productively from home or in an academic setting while being covered by a heated blanket.
Selle’s working concept targeted the intersection of function and fashion, by allowing her target market to don a fashion-forward layer while simultaneously being kept warm through its internal heating element. Like her competitors, Selle’s pitch included an analysis of her specified target market, a break-down of the market problem and consequential solution, detailed financials, and a launch timeline.
Reflected fondly after the competition, Selle said: “I did not expect to compete as well as I did as a freshman. Overall though I am really proud of how far I came and am motivated to try again next year. Through this experience, I’ve learned how to make approach complicated marketing decisions and how to craft a business plan. My favorite aspect of the competition was the need to think on one’s feet to answer the difficult questions from judges.”
The Midwest High School Pitch Competition, presented and managed by the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was launched in 2017 to foster creativity and innovation at the high school level. The UW-Whitewater CEO chapter’s mission is to inform, support and inspire college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation.
While finalists typically present in person at UW-Whitewater, this year’s final round was held virtually due to the pandemic. All high school participants gained invaluable feedback and experience in developing a business model, in addition to honing their pitching and presentation skills.
Maren Selle
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